The Vatican Information Service is a news service, founded in the Holy See Press Office, that provides information about the Magisterium and the pastoral activities of the Holy Father and the Roman Curia...[+]

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Monday, February 22, 2016

Vatican City, 22 February 2016 (VIS) –
At 10.30 a.m. today, the Solemnity of the Chair of St. Peter the
Apostle, the Holy Father presided at a Holy Mass celebrated in the
Vatican Basilica for the Jubilee of the Roman Curia, the Governorate
and the Institutions of the Holy See. All the participants, including
the Pope, then carried out a procession of faith from the Paul VI
Hall to the Basilica, passing through the Holy Door.

"At this time, the Lord Jesus
addresses a question to every one of us: 'But who do you say that I
am?'. A clear and direct question, from which it is not possible to
escape or remain neutral, nor is it possible to postpone the answer
or delegate it to someone else. But there is nothing inquisitional
about this; instead, it is full of love! The love of our only Master,
Who today calls us to renew our faith in Him, recognising Him as the
Son of God and the Lord of our life. And the first one called to
renew his profession of faith is the Successor of Peter, who bears
the responsibility of confirming his brothers".

"Let us allow grace to form again
our heart so as to believe, and open our mouth to fulfil the
profession of faith and obtain salvation. Let us, then, make Peter's
words our own: 'You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God'. May
our thought and our gaze be fixed on Jesus Christ, the beginning and
end of every action of the Church. He is the foundation and no-one
may lay another. He is the 'stone' on which we must build. St.
Augustine recalls this with expressive words when he writes that the
Church, although agitated and disturbed by the upheavals of history,
does not fall down, because she is built on stone, from which Peter's
name is derived. It is not the stone that derives its name from
Peter, but Peter from the stone, just as it is not the name Christ
that derives from Christian, but Christian from Christ. The stone is
Christ, the foundation on which Peter too was built".

Francis emphasised that "from this
profession of faith there derives, for each one of us, the task of
responding to this call from God. Pastors, first and foremost, are
required to have as a model God Himself Who takes care of His flock.
… It is also good for us, called to be Pastors in the Church, to
let the face of God the Good Shepherd illuminate us, purify us,
transform us and restore us, fully renewed in our mission. In our
workplaces too may we feel, cultivate and practice a strong pastoral
sense, especially towards the people we encounter every day. May
no-one feel neglected or mistreated, but may everyone be able to
experience, especially here, the loving care of the Good Shepherd".

"We are called upon to be God's
collaborators in a task as fundamental and unique as bearing witness
by our existence the strength of the grace that transforms and the
power of the Spirit that renews. Let us allow the Lord to free us
from every temptation that distances us from the essence of our
mission, and let us rediscover the beauty of professing our faith in
the Lord Jesus. Faith to the ministry matches well with the mercy we
wish to experience. In the Sacred Scripture, indeed, faithfulness and
mercy are inseparable. Where there is one there is the other, and it
is precisely in their reciprocal nature and complementarity that we
can see the very presence of the Good Shepherd. The faithfulness that
is required of us is that of acting in accordance with Christ's
heart. As we have heard in the words of the apostle Peter, we must
tend to our flock with a generous heart and become a model for all.
In this way, 'when the Chief Shepherd appears', we will be able to
receive 'the crown of glory that will never fade away'".

Vatican City, 21 February 2016 (VIS) –
Pope Francis described his trip to Mexico as "an experience of
transfiguration" in his reflection before this Sunday's Angelus.
Starting from the Gospel reading of this second Sunday of Lent,
dedicated to the Transfiguration of Jesus on Mount Tabor, the Holy
Father spoke about his visit to the land of the Virgin of Guadalupe.

In Mexico, he said "the Lord has
shown us the light of His glory through the Body of the Church, of
His holy people that live in this land — a body so often wounded, a
people so often oppressed and despised, whose dignity is violated. In
fact, the various encounters experienced in Mexico were truly full of
light: the light of a faith that transfigures faces and illumines our
path".

"The spiritual 'centre of gravity'
of my pilgrimage was the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe", he
added. "To remain in silence before the image of the Mother was
what suggested the trip to me. I thank God for giving me this
opportunity. I contemplated and let myself to be gazed upon by She
whose eyes hold the gaze of all of her children, the sorrows of
violence, kidnapping and murders, the violence against so many poor
people, against so many women. Guadalupe is the most visited Marian
sanctuary in the world. From all of America, people go to pray there
where the ‘Virgin Morenita’ appeared to the Indian St. Juan
Diego, giving rise to the evangelisation of the continent and its new
civilization, a fruit of encounter between diverse cultures".

"It is precisely this inheritance
that the Lord has entrusted to Mexico: to protect the wealth of
diversity, and at the same time, to manifest the harmony of a common
faith: a simple and robust faith, accompanied by a great force of
vitality and humanity", explained the Pope. "Like my
predecessors, I also went to confirm the Mexican people in their
faith, but at the same time to be confirmed. I have gathered fully
this gift so that it may be of benefit to the universal Church".

"A shining example of what I am
saying was given by families: Mexican families welcomed me with joy
as a messenger of Christ and pastor of the Church. But at the same
time, they gave me clear and strong witness of lived faith, of faith
that transfigures life, for the edification of all Christian families
in the world. The same may be said about the young, consecrated
persons, priests, workers and the imprisoned".

After giving thanks to the Virgin of
Guadalupe for this pilgrimage and acknowledging the contribution of
the civil and ecclesiastical authorities of Mexico and all those who
made the trip possible, Francis gave special praise to the Holy
Trinity for the encounter in Cuba with Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and
All Russia, a meeting that was greatly desired by previous popes.

"This event too is a prophetic
light of the Resurrection, which the world today needs more than
ever. May the Holy Mother of God continue to guide us in the path of
friendship and unity. Let us pray to the Virgin of Kazan, an icon of
whom was given to me by Patriarch Kirill".

Vatican City, 22 February 2016 (VIS) –
After today's Angelus prayer, Pope Francis spoke about the
international conference “For a World Without the Death Penalty,”
organised by the Sant’Egidio Community, which begins in Rome
tomorrow, and expressed his hope that it may inspire fresh efforts
towards the abolition of the death penalty.

The Pope observed that the increasingly
strong public opposition to the death penalty, even as an instrument
of legitimate social defence, is a sign of hope. "Indeed, modern
societies are able to effectively control crime without definitively
removing from the criminal the possibility of redeeming himself. The
issue lies in the context of a perspective on penal justice that
increasingly conforms to the dignity of man and God’s design for
man and for society. And also penal justice open to the hope of being
reintegrated in society. The command “thou shalt not kill” has
absolute value and refers to the guilty as well as the innocent.

"The Extraordinary Jubilee of
Mercy is a good opportunity to promote in the world an increasingly
mature respect for life and the dignity of each person. Because even
a criminal has the inviolable right to life, a gift of God. I appeal
to the consciences of those who govern, so that an international
consensus may be reached for the abolition of the death penalty. I
propose to those among them who are Catholic to make an exemplary
gesture of courage: that the death penalty not be applied in this
Holy Year of Mercy".

"All Christians and men and women
of good will are called today to work not only for the abolition of
the death penalty, but also to improve conditions in prisons, in
respect for human dignity and the dignity of those deprived of
freedom".

The Pope also mentioned next Thursday's
Via Crucis through the streets of Rome, organised by the Pope Juan
XXIII Foundation, founded by the priest Oreste Benzi, in support of
women who are victims of human trafficking, and to pray for them.

Before concluding the Pope reiterated
that Lent is a good time to undertake a path of conversion, based on
mercy. "For this, I have decided to give to you here in the
Square a 'spiritual medicine' called 'Misericordina'. We did this
once before, but this one is better, it is 'Misericordina-Plus': a
box with a rosary and an image of the Merciful Jesus. Volunteers,
including the poor, the homeless, refugees and also religious, will
now distribute them. Receive this gift as a spiritual aid to help
spread forgiveness and fraternity, especially in this year of mercy".

Vatican City, 20 February 2016 (VIS) –
This morning fifty thousand people attended the Holy Father's Jubilee
audience in St. Peter's Square, following his return on Thursday from
his apostolic trip in Mexico. The Pope's catechesis was on the theme
of the commitment Christians are called to make to offer a concrete
sign of God's closeness to the people they encounter.

"The Jubilee of Mercy is an
opportunity to enter in depth into the mystery of God's goodness and
love", he said. "In this Lenten time, the Church invites us
to get to know better the Lord Jesus, and to live faith in a way
coherent with a lifestyle that expresses the Father's mercy. My life,
my attitude, my way of going about the world must be a concrete sign
of the fact that God is close to us. Little gestures of love, of
tenderness, of attention, that let us think that the Lord is with us,
close to us. In this way we open the door of mercy".

For this, it is necessary to be
committed, and this means assuming a responsibility, a task in
relation to someone, and fulfilling it with fidelity, dedication and
care. "Every day we are asked to commit ourselves to the things
we do: in prayer, in work, in study, even in sport. … In short,
committing oneself means acting with good will and effort to improve
life", explained the Pope.

"God too has committed Himself to
us", he continued. "His first commitment was that of
creating the world, and despite our attempts to spoil it, He is
committed to keeping it alive. But His greatest commitment was that
of giving Jesus to us. … St. Paul recalls this when he writes that
God 'did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all'.And, by
virtue of this, together with Jesus the Father will give us
everything we need".

In the Gospel it is very easy to see
how God's commitment to us is made manifest. "In Jesus, God
commits Himself fully in order to restore hope to the poor, to those
who are deprived of their dignity, to outsiders, the sick, the
imprisoned, and to sinners who welcome Him with good will. In all of
this, Jesus was the living expression of the Father's mercy".
Francis highlighted the fact that Jesus' welcome to sinners: "if
we think of it in a human way, the sinner would be an enemy of Jesus,
an enemy of God, but He drew close to them with goodness, He loved
them and He changed their heart. We are all sinners, all of us. We
all have some blame before God. But we must not be distrustful: He
draws close to us to offer us consolation, mercy and forgiveness.
This is God's commitment, and this is why He sent Jesus to us, to be
close to us, to all of us, and to open the door of His love, His
heart and His mercy".

Taking as a starting point the merciful
love with which Jesus expressed God's commitment, we too can and must
match His love with our effort, especially in the situations of
greatest need, when there is the greatest thirst for hope. I think of
our efforts with abandoned people, with those who have very serious
disabilities, with the gravely ill, with the dying, and with those
who are no longer able to express their gratitude. … We bring God's
mercy to all these situations through commitment in life, which bears
witness to our faith in Jesus. We must always bring with us this
caress from God – because God has caressed us with His mercy – to
those who are in need of it, to those who have suffering in their
heart or who are sad. We must approach them with that caress from
God, which is the same one God gave to us".

Francis concluded his catechesis by
expressing his hope that the Jubilee may contribute to helping our
mind and our heart to be profoundly aware of God's commitment to each
one of us, and in this way, transform our life in a commitment to
mercy for all.

Vatican City, 22 February 2016 (VIS) –
The Secretariat for Communications today issued the following
communique:

"Due to the end of the term of
service at Vatican Radio of the Director General Fr. Federico
Lombardi and the Managing Director Alberto Gasbarri, the prefect for
the Secretariat for Communications, Msgr. Dario Vigano, upon
directions from the Secretariat of State, has appointed Giacomo
Ghisani as "ad interim" legal representative and head of
the Directorate of Vatican Radio, responsible for the day-to-day
management of Vatican Radio in the context of the current
restructuring of Vatican communications".

In an explanatory note, it is mentioned
that by the Motu Proprio "The current communications context",
dated 27 June 2015, Pope Francis instituted the Secretariat for
Communications to integrate all the entities hitherto concerned with
communication into a new dicastery of the Roman Curia. These
structures were the Pontifical Council for Social Communications, the
Holy See Press Office, the Vatican Internet Service, the Vatican
Television Centre, L'Osservatore Romano, the Vatican Typography, the
Photographic Service and the Vatican Publishing House.

On 9 June of the same year, a
feasibility study and working calendar were presented to the Council
of Cardinals (the so-called C9), indicating the gradual process of
unification of the existing entities; "such bodies", it
specifies, "from the date of the publication of the present Motu
Proprio, shall continue their respective duties, observing however
the indications provided by the Secretariat for Communications".

The process has begun, and on 1 January
2016 the Pontifical Council for Social Communications and the Holy
See Press Office were unified, from an administrative and management
point of view. Nothing has been modified with regard to the
competence of the Secretariat of State in relation to institutional
communication.

This year, in accordance with the
presented and approved time scale, the complex but certainly positive
unification of Vatican Radio and the Vatican Television Centre was
expected to take place. This was implemented for some services (such
as the distribution of sound and images for papal ceremonies and
other important Vatican events), and for the better deployment of
human resources.

In this context it is clear why at the
end of February, at the end of their respective five-year mandates
and the upcoming retirements of two senior figures, the Director
General Fr. Federico Lombardi and the Managing Director Alberto
Gasbarri, they will not be substituted with figures in similar
directing roles. Instead a legal representative and and head of the
administrative office will be appointed, in the single person of
Giacomo Ghisani, currently deputy director of the General Directorate
of the Secretariat for Communications, who has an excellent knowledge
of Vatican Radio having worked there for many years as head of the
legal and international relations office.

The restructuring process will be
accompanied by the formulation of new Statutes not only for the
Dicastery but also the connected body that will ensure legal
representation both in institutional contexts and at European and
international level. The new Statutes will also reformulate the
staffing plans of the unified bodies.

"The task that awaits us offers a
great opportunity to evaluate in both entities the areas of
excellence and our patrimony of multilingualism and
multiculturalism", the note says.

"In this phase, the Vatican
Television Centre will continue to refer to Stefano D'Agostini for
the purposes of ordinary administration. The staff of Vatican Radio
will refer to Giacomo Ghisani for administrative matters and to Fr.
Andrzej Majewski for editorial activities and the situation of the
various language versions (that is, the current Directorate of
Programming). Technological matters, including acquisitions and the
development of projects (the activity and competence of the current
Technical Directorate) it will refer to Sandro Piervenanzi.

The Secretariat for Communications will
follow this process with care and attention, to facilitate solutions
to eventual difficulties and to guarantee its success.

On Friday, 19 February the Holy Father
received in audience Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, president of the
Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, accompanied by Bishop
Miguel Angel Ayuso Guixot, M.C.C.J., secretary of the same dicastery.

Vatican City, 22 February 2016 (VIS) –
The Holy Father has appointed Fr. Angel Antonio Recinos Lemus as
bishop of Zacapa y Santo Cristo de Esquipulas (area 5,066. population
613,000, Catholics 528,000, priests 32, permanent deacons 1,
religious 68), Guatemala. The bishop-elect was born in Azulco,
Guatemala in 1963 and was ordained a priest in 1994. He holds a
licentiate in biblical theology from the Pontifical Gregorian
University, Rome, and has served in a number of academic,
administrative and pastoral roles, including seminary professor,
director of the Institute of Theology of the National Seminary, head
of pastoral ministry of indigenous peoples, representative of
Guatemale in the information network of the Church in Latin America,
co-ordinator of the pastoral commission for the defence of the
environment, and parish priest in various parishes. He is currently
parish priest of Nuestra Senora de Lourdes and in El Progreso
Achuapa, Jutiapa.